Land acknowledgements are something that can feel overwhelming, especially to someone who is new to the profession. In class today, we talked about Territory Acknowledgements and how to make them meaningful rather than just something we say out of routine. We looked at the First Nations Health Authority’s Territory Acknowledgements Information Booklet, which helped break this down in a way that felt more accessible and practical.

One of my key takeaways from this resource was the “do’s and don’ts” section. I personally found this really helpful because it gave clear guidance on how to approach land acknowledgements respectfully, while also explaining common mistakes. It made me realize that land acknowledgements are not just about saying the right words, but about understanding the meaning behind them and being intentional in how we use them.We looked at the First Nations Health Authorities Territory Acknowledgements Information Booklet.

A note on Unceded
Territories and Treaties:
Much of the First Nations territory in BC
is ‘unceded’, which means it was never
legally ceded, or given up to the crown,
through treaty or other arrangements.
Acknowledging that territories are unceded
can unintentionally imply that the purpose
of a treaty is to extinguish First Nations title.
There is a difference of interpretation around
the nature of historic treaties as Nation-toNation agreements. For example, Treaty 8
Nations initially understood (and continue to
interpret) a treaty as an agreement of peace and
partnership in how to steward the land, not as
a “giving up” or ceding of territory to be solely
owned and managed by the Crown. It is good
to acknowledge that traditional territories are
unceded, and equally important to acknowledge
that treaty territories are also unceded lands.

What really resonated with me was the discussion around unceded territories and treaties. Much of British Columbia is on unceded land, meaning it was never legally given up through treaties or agreements. Learning this in more depth was really impactful for me because I had heard the term “unceded” many times before, but I never fully understood what it meant. Living and learning on Ktunaxa Nation territory, this became even more meaningful. I came to understand that the Ktunaxa people never gave permission for their land to be taken, and in some cases rejected treaties because they recognized them as unequal agreements. This shifted my perspective and made me realize that land acknowledgements carry a deeper historical and political meaning than I previously understood.

This learning influences my teaching in a big way. For example, instead of just reciting a land acknowledgement at the beginning of the day, I want to take time to explain to students what it means and why we do it. This could look like having discussions about the meaning of “unceded,” exploring local Indigenous history, or even co-creating a class land acknowledgement that reflects our shared understanding. This helps move beyond surface-level practice and into meaningful learning.

This connects strongly to the UVic Teacher Competencies, specifically:

6)  practise respect for all learners from all cultures, including, specifically, Indigenous learners.

Taking the time to understand land acknowledgements shows respect for Indigenous perspectives and helps create a classroom where Indigenous histories and voices are valued. By learning how to properly do land acknowledgements and learning what the words mean, I get to grow in both my knowledge and respect for the Indigenous People whose land we have the privilege to learn and play on here in Cranbrook, British Columbia, the traditional unceded homelands of the Ktunaxa peoples.

Overall, this reflection helped me see that land acknowledgements are not just something we say, but something we need to understand and live out in our teaching practice. Moving forward, I want to be more intentional in how I approach them so that they are meaningful for both myself and my future students.